Karna Refuses Kunti and Spares Four Brothers

Verse 1 (5.146.1)

ततः सूर्यान्निश्चरितां कर्णः शुश्राव भारतीम् । दुरत्ययां प्रणयिनीं पितृवद्भास्करेरिताम् ॥

tataḥ sūryānniścaritāṃ karṇaḥ śuśrāva bhāratīm | duratyayāṃ praṇayinīṃ pitṛvadbhāskareritām

Then Karna heard a voice issuing from the sun, hard to set aside and full of affection, spoken by Bhaskara as a father would speak:

Verse 2 (5.146.2)

सत्यमाह पृथा वाक्यं कर्ण मातृवचः कुरु । श्रेयस्ते स्यान्नरव्याघ्र सर्वमाचरतस्तथा ॥

satyamāha pṛthā vākyaṃ karṇa mātṛvacaḥ kuru | śreyaste syānnaravyāghra sarvamācaratastathā

"Pritha has spoken the truth, Karna; do as your mother says. Good will come to you, tiger among men, if you do all of it."

Verse 3 (5.146.3)

एवमुक्तस्य मात्रा च स्वयं पित्रा च भानुना । चचाल नैव कर्णस्य मतिः सत्यधृतेस्तदा ॥

evamuktasya mātrā ca svayaṃ pitrā ca bhānunā | cacāla naiva karṇasya matiḥ satyadhṛtestadā

Yet though he was spoken to thus by his mother and by his father, the Sun himself, the mind of Karna, steadfast in truth, did not waver at all.

Verse 4 (5.146.4)

न चैतच्छ्रद्दधे वाक्यं क्षत्रिये भाषितं त्वया । धर्मद्वारं ममैतत्स्यान्नियोगकरणं तव ॥

na caitacchraddadhe vākyaṃ kṣatriye bhāṣitaṃ tvayā | dharmadvāraṃ mamaitatsyānniyogakaraṇaṃ tava

"I cannot accept these words you have spoken, kshatriya lady; to act on your bidding would be for me a door out of dharma.

Verse 5 (5.146.5)

अकरोन्मयि यत्पापं भवती सुमहात्ययम् । अपाकीर्णोऽस्मि यन्मातस्तद्यशःकीर्तिनाशनम् ॥

akaronmayi yatpāpaṃ bhavatī sumahātyayam | apākīrṇo'smi yanmātastadyaśaḥkīrtināśanam

The wrong you did me was ruinous indeed: that I was cast away, mother, has destroyed my fame and glory.

Verse 6 (5.146.6)

अहं चेत्क्षत्रियो जातो न प्राप्तः क्षत्रसत्क्रियाम् । त्वत्कृते किं नु पापीयः शत्रुः कुर्यान्ममाहितम् ॥

ahaṃ cetkṣatriyo jāto na prāptaḥ kṣatrasatkriyām | tvatkṛte kiṃ nu pāpīyaḥ śatruḥ kuryānmamāhitam

If I was born a kshatriya and yet, because of you, never received the rites due to a kshatriya, what worse harm could an enemy do me?

Verse 7 (5.146.7)

क्रियाकाले त्वनुक्रोशमकृत्वा त्वमिमं मम । हीनसंस्कारसमयमद्य मां समचूचुदः ॥

kriyākāle tvanukrośamakṛtvā tvamimaṃ mama | hīnasaṃskārasamayamadya māṃ samacūcudaḥ

When the time for those rites came you showed me no compassion; and now you urge me on — me, who was denied the sacraments at their proper time.

Note on the text: Corrected हीनसंस्क्रासमयम् → हीनसंस्कारसमयम् (misprint in Wikisource; garbled conjunct in संस्कार, critical edition hīnasaṃskārasamayam).

Verse 8 (5.146.8)

न वै मम हितं पूर्वं मातृवच्चेष्टितं त्वया । सा मां संबोधयस्यद्य केवलात्महितैषिणी ॥

na vai mama hitaṃ pūrvaṃ mātṛvacceṣṭitaṃ tvayā | sā māṃ saṃbodhayasyadya kevalātmahitaiṣiṇī

Never before did you do anything for my good as a mother would; and now you appeal to me, seeking only your own good.

Verse 9 (5.146.9)

कृष्णेन सहितात्को वै न व्यथेत धनंजयात् । कोऽद्य भीतं न मां विद्यात्पार्थानां समितिं गतम् ॥

kṛṣṇena sahitātko vai na vyatheta dhanaṃjayāt | ko'dya bhītaṃ na māṃ vidyātpārthānāṃ samitiṃ gatam

Who would not tremble before Dhananjaya with Krishna at his side? And who today would not think me afraid if I went over to the company of the Parthas?

Note on the text: Corrected कोद्य → कोऽद्य (misprint in Wikisource; missing avagraha, critical edition ko 'dya) and पर्थानां → पार्थानां (misprint; dropped vowel sign, critical edition pārthānāṃ).

Verse 10 (5.146.10)

अभ्राता विदितः पूर्वं युद्धकाले प्रकाशितः । पाण्डवान्यदि गच्छामि किं मां क्षत्रं वदिष्यति ॥

abhrātā viditaḥ pūrvaṃ yuddhakāle prakāśitaḥ | pāṇḍavānyadi gacchāmi kiṃ māṃ kṣatraṃ vadiṣyati

Known till now as having no brothers, and revealed as their brother only at the time of battle — if I go over to the Pandavas, what will the kshatriyas say of me?

Verse 11 (5.146.11)

सर्वकामैः संविभक्तः पूजितश्च यथासुखम् । अहं वै धार्तराष्ट्राणां कुर्यां तदफलं कथम् ॥

sarvakāmaiḥ saṃvibhaktaḥ pūjitaśca yathāsukham | ahaṃ vai dhārtarāṣṭrāṇāṃ kuryāṃ tadaphalaṃ katham

The sons of Dhritarashtra have shared every pleasure with me and honoured me in every comfort; how could I make all that fruitless?

Verse 12 (5.146.12)

उपनह्य परैर्वैरं ये मां नित्यमुपासते । नमस्कुर्वन्ति च सदा वसवो वासवं यथा ॥

upanahya parairvairaṃ ye māṃ nityamupāsate | namaskurvanti ca sadā vasavo vāsavaṃ yathā

Having bound themselves in enmity with others, they wait on me always and always bow to me, as the Vasus do to Vasava.

Verse 13 (5.146.13)

मम प्राणेन ये शत्रूञ्शक्ताः प्रतिसमासितुम् । मन्यन्ते ते कथं तेषामहं छिन्द्यां मनोरथम् ॥

mama prāṇena ye śatrūñśaktāḥ pratisamāsitum | manyante te kathaṃ teṣāmahaṃ chindyāṃ manoratham

They believe that through my strength they can overcome their enemies; how could I cut off their hopes?

Verse 14 (5.146.14)

मया प्लवेन संग्रामं तितीर्षन्ति दुरत्ययम् । अपारे पारकामा ये त्यजेयं तानहं कथम् ॥

mayā plavena saṃgrāmaṃ titīrṣanti duratyayam | apāre pārakāmā ye tyajeyaṃ tānahaṃ katham

With me as their boat they hope to cross the impassable sea of battle, longing for the far shore of a shoreless sea; how could I abandon them?

Verse 15 (5.146.15)

अयं हि कालः संप्राप्तो धार्तराष्ट्रोपजीविनाम् । निर्वेष्टव्यं मया तत्र प्राणानपरिरक्षता ॥

ayaṃ hi kālaḥ saṃprāpto dhārtarāṣṭropajīvinām | nirveṣṭavyaṃ mayā tatra prāṇānaparirakṣatā

The time has now come for those who live by Dhritarashtra's son; I must repay my debt there, without sparing my life.

Verse 16 (5.146.16)

कृतार्थाः सुभृता ये हि कृत्यकाले ह्युपस्थिते । अनवेक्ष्य कृतं पापा विकुर्वन्त्यनवस्थिताः ॥

kṛtārthāḥ subhṛtā ye hi kṛtyakāle hyupasthite | anavekṣya kṛtaṃ pāpā vikurvantyanavasthitāḥ

Those who have been well maintained and have had their ends served, yet when the hour of duty comes ignore what was done for them and turn faithless — such wicked and unsteady men,

Verse 17 (5.146.17)

राजकिल्बिषिणां तेषां भर्तृपिण्डापहारिणाम् । नैवायं न परो लोको विद्यते पापकर्मणाम् ॥

rājakilbiṣiṇāṃ teṣāṃ bhartṛpiṇḍāpahāriṇām | naivāyaṃ na paro loko vidyate pāpakarmaṇām

who wrong their king and steal their master's bread, have neither this world nor the next, for they are evildoers.

Verse 18 (5.146.18)

धृतराष्ट्रस्य पुत्राणामर्थे योत्स्यामि ते सुतैः । बलं च शक्तिं चास्थाय न वै त्वय्यनृतं वदे ॥

dhṛtarāṣṭrasya putrāṇāmarthe yotsyāmi te sutaiḥ | balaṃ ca śaktiṃ cāsthāya na vai tvayyanṛtaṃ vade

For the sake of Dhritarashtra's sons I will fight your sons with all my strength and power; I do not speak falsely to you.

Verse 19 (5.146.19)

आनृशंस्यमथो वृत्तं रक्षन्सत्पुरुषोचितम् । अतोऽर्थकरमप्येतन्न करोम्यद्य ते वचः ॥

ānṛśaṃsyamatho vṛttaṃ rakṣansatpuruṣocitam | ato'rthakaramapyetanna karomyadya te vacaḥ

Guarding kindness and the conduct that befits a good man, I will not do as you say today, though it would be to my advantage.

Verse 20 (5.146.20)

न च तेऽयं समारम्भो मयि मोघो भविष्यति । वध्यान्विषह्यान्संग्रामे न हनिष्यामि ते सुतान् ॥

na ca te'yaṃ samārambho mayi mogho bhaviṣyati | vadhyānviṣahyānsaṃgrāme na haniṣyāmi te sutān

Yet this effort of yours with me will not be in vain: I will not kill your sons in battle, though they are within my power to kill —

Note on the text: The critical edition's 5.144.20ab–cd. The critical edition prints 5.144.20–21 as two three-line verses, which Wikisource divides into three couplets (verses 20–22).

Verse 21 (5.146.21)

युधिष्ठिरं च भीमं च यमौ चैवार्जुनादृते । अर्जुनेन समं युद्धमपि यौधिष्ठिरे बले ॥

yudhiṣṭhiraṃ ca bhīmaṃ ca yamau caivārjunādṛte | arjunena samaṃ yuddhamapi yaudhiṣṭhire bale

Yudhishthira, Bhima and the twins — all but Arjuna. In Yudhishthira's army it is with Arjuna that I shall fight.

Note on the text: Line 1 is the critical edition's 5.144.20ef; line 2 is 5.144.21ab (reading mama for अपि).

Verse 22 (5.146.22)

अर्जुनं हि निहत्याजौ संप्राप्तं स्यात्फलं मया । यशसा चापि युज्येयं निहतः सव्यसाचिना ॥

arjunaṃ hi nihatyājau saṃprāptaṃ syātphalaṃ mayā | yaśasā cāpi yujyeyaṃ nihataḥ savyasācinā

If I slay Arjuna in battle I shall have won my reward; or if I am slain by Savyasachin, I shall be crowned with glory.

Note on the text: The critical edition's 5.144.21cd–ef.

Verse 23 (5.146.23)

न ते जातु नशिष्यन्ति पुत्राः पञ्च यशस्विनि । निरर्जुनाः सकर्णा वा सार्जुना वा हते मयि ॥

na te jātu naśiṣyanti putrāḥ pañca yaśasvini | nirarjunāḥ sakarṇā vā sārjunā vā hate mayi

Your sons will never be fewer than five, glorious lady: either without Arjuna and with Karna, or with Arjuna, if I am slain."

Verse 24 (5.146.24)

इति कर्णवचः श्रुत्वा कुन्ती दुःखात्प्रवेपती । उवाच पुत्रमाश्लिष्य कर्णं धैर्यादकम्पनम् ॥

iti karṇavacaḥ śrutvā kuntī duḥkhātpravepatī | uvāca putramāśliṣya karṇaṃ dhairyādakampanam

Hearing Karna's words, Kunti, trembling with grief, embraced her son Karna, unshaken in his resolve, and said:

Note on the text: Corrected प्रवेषती → प्रवेपती (misprint in Wikisource; ष for प, "trembling", critical edition pravepatī).

Verse 25 (5.146.25)

एवं वै भाव्यमेतेन क्षयं यास्यन्ति कौरवाः । यथा त्वं भाषसे कर्ण दैवं तु बलवत्तरम् ॥

evaṃ vai bhāvyametena kṣayaṃ yāsyanti kauravāḥ | yathā tvaṃ bhāṣase karṇa daivaṃ tu balavattaram

"So it must be, then: the Kauravas will go to their destruction, as you say, Karna. Fate is the stronger.

Verse 26 (5.146.26)

त्वया चतुर्णां भ्रातॄणामभयं शत्रुकर्शन । दत्तं तत्प्रतिजानीहि सङ्गरप्रतिमोचनम् ॥

tvayā caturṇāṃ bhrātṝṇāmabhayaṃ śatrukarśana | dattaṃ tatpratijānīhi saṅgarapratimocanam

You have granted safety to four of your brothers, scourge of your foes; hold to that pledge and be sure to fulfil it."

Verse 27 (5.146.27)

अनामयं स्वस्ति चेति पृथाथो कर्णमब्रवीत् । तां कर्णोऽभ्यवदत्प्रीतस्ततस्तौ जग्मतुः पृथक् ॥

anāmayaṃ svasti ceti pṛthātho karṇamabravīt | tāṃ karṇo'bhyavadatprītastatastau jagmatuḥ pṛthak

"May you be well and may all go well with you," Pritha then said to Karna; and Karna, pleased, answered her in the same words. Then the two went their separate ways.